Brain hydrocephalus: symptoms in adults, treatment, causes

Hydrocephalus is a pathological process that is characterized by an increased content of cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebrospinal fluid spaces.

Which leads to their subsequent expansion and development of atrophic changes in the brain tissue from compression.

1. 1) Cisterns( especially should be allocated a large brain tank)
   
2. 2) Ventricles( which is why during the prenatal ultrasound the width of the bodies and horns of the lateral ventricles of the brain is measured)
   
3. 3) Subarachnoidal cracks located under the arachnoidshell.

The main mechanisms that can lead to the development of hydrocephalus are the following, and they can be isolated or combined with each other:

• increased formation of cerebrospinal fluid
  
• a decrease in its absorption
  
• a disturbance in the regulation of the balance of cerebrospinal fluid.

Hydrocephalus mainly develops in childhood, including in newborns. The prevalence of this pathology is 0.01-1% among all children born before the month. Therefore, a special place is occupied by prenatal diagnostics, which is very important for the expressed degrees of hydrocephalus with almost complete atrophy of brain substance.

Causes of cerebral hydrocephalus

The main causes that lead to the development of hydrocephalus in the extrauterine period are:

1. 1) Infectious diseases, especially viral, which the woman has had during pregnancy. They disrupt the normal operation of the ventricles of the brain. This is the main cause of congenital hydrocephalus. Usually, in the remaining cases, the acquired form of this disease develops.
   
2. 2) Traumatic brain injury
   
3. 3) Inflammation of the brain and its membranes - meningitis, meningoencephalitis, etc.
   
4. 4) General intoxications of various chemical compounds, including endogenous origin( against renal, liver failure)
   
5. 5) Congenital malformations of the central nervous system
   
6. 6) Hypoxic and ischemic brain damage in the prenatal period
   
7. 7) Oncological diseases
   
8. 8) Disorders of cerebral vessels.

Against the background of the increased content of CSF, intracranial pressure increases, which is characterized by the development of hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome. This increase in pressure has an adverse effect on neurons, which leads to the appearance of various clinical signs of the disease( cramps, headaches, memory loss, etc.).In especially severe cases against this background, paresis and paralysis, mental retardation may develop, and even they can lead to death.

Based on etiopathogenetic factors, the main forms of hydrocephalus are distinguished, which include:

1. 1) Closed - the main outflow pathways of the cerebrospinal fluid are closed for various reasons( blood clot, swelling, cyst, etc.)
   
2. 2) Open, associated with damagesuction liquor structures
   
3. 3) Hypersecretory, developing against the background of increased secretion of cerebrospinal fluid cerebral plexuses.

Symptoms of cerebral hydrocephalus

In adults, the clinical symptoms of hydrocephalus may increase over a period of time. With this in mind, three main variants of hydrocephalus have been identified:

1. 1) Acute, in which decompensation develops within a day or two
   
2. 2) Subacute when it comes to
   
3. month 3) Chronic, which develops more than one month.

The main symptoms that allow suspected hydrocephalus are:

• headache that reaches its maximum intensity in the morning, as at night there is an increase in intracranial pressure
  
• fatigue
  
• pathological drowsiness, which is an extremely unfavorable prognostic sign( very often it is regarded as a predictor of a worsening neurological situation)
  
• nausea and vomiting, which is also mainlyobserved in the mornings and somewhat reduces the intensity of the headache
  
• convulsions
  
• eye symptoms - strabismus, abnormal trackinga moving object, nystagmus.

Increased pressure on the medulla oblongata leads to the involvement of the respiratory center and cardiovascular system in the pathological process. Against this background, heart rhythm disturbances, apnea( respiratory arrest) and other pathological changes that can lead to death can develop.

Chronic hydrocephalus, in contrast to the above acute and subacute, manifests a slightly different symptomatology. It is as follows:

• incontinence
  
• dementia
  
• violation walk
  
• paresis and paralysis of the lower limbs
  
• child does not sleep at night and constantly falls asleep during the day
  
• memory decline in the number of
  
• apraxia - Imitation cycling while in bed, but in a verticalhe does not walk well or does not walk at all
  
• a significant increase in the size of the head( this symptom can be found in a newborn)
  
• newborn babies tilt their head back, while their eyes deflecttsya down.

diagnosis of hydrocephalus

If there is suspicion of hydrocephalus, shown holding the following additional methods of research:

1. 1) Magnetic resonance imaging
   
2. 2) Computed tomography
   
3. 3) Neurosonography( ultrasound examination of the brain of the child, which can be carried out before the closure of the fontanelles)mandatory measuring head circumference of the newborn
   
4. 4) ophthalmoscopic study conducted by ophthalmologist. It allows to detect a stagnant process in the optic disc.

Treatment of brain hydrocephalus

In adults, treatment of hydrocephalus can be conservative and operative, depending on the shape and course of nature.

its main objectives are:

• normalization product liquor
  
• restoring its normal circulating
  
• decrease intracranial pressure.

Endoscopic surgeries are currently underway for the purpose of applying a shunt. This operation is especially effective in the closed form of the disease. According to current recommendations of the neurosurgeons, the most promising is the endoscopic ventrikulotsisternotomiya third ventricle.

It has no practical complications and does not require a shunt replacement after some time, in contrast to shunting operations( lifetime repeated catheter replacement).

Drug therapy is aimed at maintaining the normal operation of the brain, which undergoes compression on the background of increased intracranial pressure. For this purpose, metabolic, nootropic drugs, as well as anticonvulsants in the development of seizures are shown.

Prognosis and prevention of hydrocephalus

Prevention measures for hydrocephalus of the brain are as follows:

• exclusion of various infections during pregnancy
  
• use at this time of only those pharmacological drugs that do not adversely affect the fetus
  
• timely treatment of viral infections that are more frequentall complicated by neuroinfections
  
• passage of ultrasound screening examination in a highly qualified specialist for the purpose of prenatedetection of hydrocephalus.

The prognosis of this disease depends on the degree of its severity. Minimal disorders of liquorodynamics are well suited to conservative therapy without any residual changes.

In severe cases, intellectual dysfunction, convulsive syndrome, focal neurological symptoms in the form of paresis and strokes, fatal outcome may develop.

I weighed 92 kg! Fat went 3 kg a week! For this, I drank a glass before bed. ..

The nail fungus is afraid of this as a fire! If in cool water. ..

Varicose veins disappear in a few days! You just need to spread your legs once a day. ..

The "grandfather's" method to quit smoking! In 7 days you will forget about cigarettes forever!